WALKER — A new Lod Stafford Bridge opened to drivers in Walker on Thursday. 

The old bridge on Lod Stafford Road was destroyed during Hurricane Ida in 2021, forcing drivers to take longer routes to detour around the broken bridge. 

On Thursday, Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte and other parish officials held a ribbon-cutting to formally open the new bridge.

Delatte said the process to reopen the bridge was not easy.

"Because this was tied to FEMA disaster funding, we had to work through a federal process that includes engineering, environmental clearance, utilities, and right-of-way steps before we could move at full speed," Delatte said. "But we stayed on it, pushed it forward, and got it done."